Wizard World Comic Con/Awesome Fest

With all due respect to Melissa Harris-Perry’s oft-mentioned nerdland, Philadelphia’s got one all its own, filled with inhabitants who are thrilled that our city’s much-anticipated summer convention season is upon us. Why? Its kick-off is the always-entertaining Wizard World Comic Con, a rousing traveling collection of comics, movies, TV shows, technology, games and collectables that offers up the most beloved stars across each genre for fans to greet, meet and enjoy. Philly’s proud geek gods are well-aware of—and well-prepared for—this annual jam-packed extravaganza, but this year, something more awesome, literally, is getting thrown into the mix.

Since 2010, Philadelphia’s own Awesome Fest has been bringing its audiences the best in cutting-edge cinema and music, completely free of charge in outdoor places, and offering everything from indie gems from local filmmakers to Hollywood blockbusters, hosting a number of premieres to ensure that this one-of-a-kind confab remains exclusively Philly. Keeping in line with its history of presentations at non-traditional venues and other unique spaces, this year’s Awesome Fest has joined forces with Wizard World, offering a twist on fan favorites—like back-to-back 30th-anniversary chats with The Karate Kid’s Ralph Macchio and Martin Kove and a screening of Revenge of the Nerds (above), along with comedian Doug Benson’s Movie Interruption, featuring guest interruptors Curtis Armstrong (Booger) and Brian Tochi (Toshiro Takashi). To sweeten the deal, there’s even a Q&A with veteran actor Christopher Lloyd to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future 2—and so much more. Check the fest’s schedule, and you’ll see just how well it’s 2014 jammie plans to lives up to its name, aside from the WWCC tie-ins.

All but one Awesome Fest film screened in conjunction with WWCC (Karate Kid is the exception) are free to Con ticket holders, but for those unable to secure WWCC tickets, the joint events are still offered at a reasonable price. Not to be restricted within the confines of one weekend, however, the remainder of AF lasts through mid-August and promises more of the unflinching, unwavering levels of awesome we’ve all come to know and love. // KENNEDY ALLEN